Sage Hurta, upon finishing a fantastic 2020-21 athletic season for the University of Colorado, was nominated by the Pac-12 Conference as its representative for the NCAA Woman of the Year on Monday morning, the school announced in a press release.
Hurta is just the second CU woman to earn the honor, joining Kaitlyn Benner in 2019.
Hurta becomes the Pac-12’s candidate for the NCAA Woman of the Year, presented annually to a graduating student-athlete who has distinguished herself throughout her collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, community service and leadership.
The award, which is in its 31st year, honors the academic achievements, athletic excellence, community service and leadership of outstanding female college athletes. In total, 535 student-athletes were nominated across the three NCAA Divisions and 24 sports with an average GPA of 3.7. The list has been cut down to 153 women across the three NCAA Divisions, including 57 from NCAA Division I.
Hurta left a mark on the Buffs program with an individual national title (2021 one-mile run), relay national title (2017 distance medley relay) and team NCAA Championships. She joins Dani Jones as the only CU athletes to do so. Hurta was also a seven-time All-American, including becoming only the second women’s four-time cross country All-American at CU.
The Woman of the Year Selection Committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will now choose the Top 30 honorees — 10 from each division — from the conference-level nominees. The Top 30 honorees will be announced in September. The selection committee will determine the top three honorees in each division from the Top 30, and the nine finalists will be announced this fall. From those nine finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics then will choose the 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year.
